Automatic filling-replenishing loom.



PATENT-ED JUNE .7, 1904,

- M. L, STONE. AUTOMATIC FILLING REPLBNISHING LOOM.

APPLICATION I ILBD JAN. 13. 1904.

no mount.

v No. 761,724.

Patented June '7, 1904.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC MELVIN L. STONE, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO DRAPER COMPANY, OF HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, A (JOB- PORATION OF MAINE.

AUTOMATIC FlLLlNG-REPLENISHING LOOIVI.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 7 61,724, dated June 7, 1904.

Application filed January 18, 1904. Serial No. 188,831. (No model.)

To a whmn it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MELVIN L. STONE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Lowell, county of MiddleseX, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Automatic Filling-Replenishing Looms, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

Looms of the Northrop type equipped with mechanism to automatically effect replenishment of the filling in the running shuttle, as in United States Patent No. 529,94L0 and others, require more or less attention from the weaver to refill the filling feeder or hop- My present invention has for its object the production of means to signal automatically to the weaver or other attendant when the filling-feeder is nearly empty, so that he can at once proceed to that particular loom and fill the feeder. The provision of the signal apparatus gives the attendant more time for his other duties, as he knows that without any action on his part the signal will be given whenever the feeder of a loom requires his attention and before it is completely empty.

The various novel features of my invention will be described in the subjoined specification, and particularly pointed out in the following claims.

The drawing represents the right-hand side of a loom equipped with automatic filling-replenishing mechanism, (the filling-feeder being shown in transverse.section,) and one embodiment of my invention is applied thereto.

The filling-replenishing mechanism, including the feeder F to contain a series of circularly-arranged filling-carriers or bobbinsjb,

the transferrer f, mounted to rock on the operate in a manner familiar to those skilled in the art. The leadingfilling-carrier V of the series is the one next to be transferred, and then the feeder advances to bring the neXt adjacent filling-carrier into position for transfer. I have provided means to indicate or signal to the attendant when the feeder is nearly empty, so that it can be reloaded or filled up in ample'time to prevent any stoppage due to complete removal of its contents. In the present embodiment of my invention I pivot at 2 a lever 1 on any conspicuous part of the loom-as, for instance, the arch A said lever having at one end a target or signal-disk 3 and at its other end a weight 4 heavy. enough to swing the signal-disk into signaling position (see dotted lines) at the proper time. Lower down on the arch a bellcrank 5 6 is fulcrumed, the arm 5 being connected by a link 7 with the lever 1 between its fulcrum and the weight, as herein shown. On the rear side of the feeder-stand A I have pivotally mounted at 8 a depending finger or detent 9, the lower end of which tends to rest against the filling-carriers as they move intermittingly toward the transferringpoint. Above its fulcrum the detent is provided with an upturned extension 10, which is pivotally connected to one end of a link 11, the other end of said link being jointed to the arm 6 of the bell-crank.

Referring to the drawing, it will be seen that when the parts are in the position shown the weight 4: acts through the interveningof arrow 25. The signal-disk is then elevated into signaling or indicating position (shown by dotted lineslin plain sight above the loomarch, so that the attendant knows the feeder of that loom is nearly empty. It is desirable to paint the disk 3 bright red or some color Which will contrast sharply with surrounding objects to make it as distinctive as possible when moved into signaling position. As shown herein, the signal is given when all but six filling-carriers have been transferred from the feeder; butagreater orless number may be chosen Without altering the invention. \Vhcn the attendant notices the signal, he at once fills up the feeder, and in so doing the detent and signal are'returned to the positions shown in full lines in the drawing.

Having fully described my invention, what 1 claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a loom, a rotatable feeder to contain a series of filling-carriers, a transfcrrer to transfer them one by one to the shuttle, an emptyfeeder signal, and means to cause the latter to move into indicating position when the major portion of the filling-carriers have been removed from the feeder.

2. In a loom, a rotatable feeder to contain a series of circularly-arranged filling-carriers, means to transfer them one by one to the shuttle, a pivotally-mounted signal-disk, a connected weight to move it into signaling position, a detent adapted to be engaged by the filling-carriers and held in operative position, and a positive connection between the detent and the signal-disk to retain the latter in nonsignaling position, release of the detent by the passage beyond it of the rearmost iillingcarrier of the series permitting the weight to move the signal-disk into signaling position.

3. In a loom, mechanism to automatically replenish the running filling, including a rotatable feeder adapted to contain a circularlyarranged series of filling-carriers, combined with a visual signal, means to retain it in nonindicating position until only a predetermined number of filling-carriers remain in the feeder, and an actuator to thereupon more the signal into indicating position.

In testimony whereof I havesigncd my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MELVIN L. STONE.

\Vitncsses:

JAMES E. ODoNNnLL, \VALTER E. (JiUYETTE. 

